Sports Nutrition – How Fat Provides Energy for Exercise
All the energy we need for life as well as for exercise comes from the food we eat and fluids we drink. These nutrients are commonly broken into three classes: • Fats • Carbohydrates • Proteins Each category of food is important for health and we should all consume foods from each category. The ratio in which we need to consume these foods, however, is often the topic of a debate. Sports Nutrition – Fat Dietary fat is often blamed for many health problems; however, fat is an essential nutrient for optimal health. Adipose tissue (stored fat) provides cushion and insulation to internal organs, covers the nerves, moves vitamins (A, D, E, and K) throughout the body and is the largest reserve of stored energy available for activity. Fat is stored when we consume more calories then we use. There is an
